7.30pm
For eight years ‘The LoD’ ran the best (and only) alternative comedy night in Liverpool; an underground fight club of a sketch show full of deadpan darkness, inappropriate twists and unlikely punchlines… They were even finalists of Sketch Comedian of the year… but they didn’t win.
Driven mad by the shame of being beaten by comedians from London… they left our
Planet… now they return – for revenge!
And for an imaginatively unhinged theatrical sketch show…but mostly for revenge!
With new members, The LoD are honoured to perform their ‘Best of’… at the iconic institution, The Blob Shop… Unity Theatre.
Featuring the Combined BMI of…
Disgraced netball coach: Rob Rhys Bond
Original series Klingon: Oli Bond
Alien fingered Bard: Danny Bradley
Affordable Mr Bean and educator: Liam Hale
Texting on the toilet’s: Lee Hithersay
Muppet felt Frankenstein: Alice Rowbottom
It’ll surprise you… it’ll confuse you… it’ll be… very very funny. So just come.
5:30pm
Unity 1
Horizon Film Festival showcases the work of Liverpool’s best and brightest upcoming filmmakers. We seek to give them the exposure, connections, and support they need to thrive in the industry.
Attending the festival is your opportunity to watch groundbreaking short films, talk to their creators, and discover the bold visionaries who will shape the future of our industry.
Join us in celebrating the art of film in the heart of Liverpool.
8.00pm
Twenty years ago The School of Night made its first appearance, at Shakespeare’s Globe in London. Sixteen years ago it made its Liverpool debut at the legendary MelloMello cafe. Since then, its unique blend of literary improvisation has been seen all over the UK (National Theatre, British Library, Hay, Latitude and Edinburgh festivals) and beyond (in the US, Malaysia and all over Europe) as well as appearing on many radio shows, including BBC Radio’s The Verb. They are delighted to be back in Liverpool to perform new works by Shakespeare and others, summoned from thin air! Imagine if making stuff up was just more fun than writing it down…
‘Uproarious, intelligent, laugh-a-minute fare’
★ ★ ★ ★ Telegraph
‘Fearsomely able improvisers’
★ ★ ★ ★ Financial Times
‘Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cosy, doesn’t try it on.’
Billy Connolly
Day and weekend passes are available to purchase for the entire festival. There is a limited number of these passes available. Follow the link here to purchase yours.
7.00pm
For millennia, people have gathered around fires to share fables, weave myths, and cast shadows that dance on cave walls. Now, Allegory of the Cave breathes new life into these ancient traditions.
This unique production is brought to you by a skilled ensemble who combine traditional improv with the captivating arts of puppetry and shadow theatre, weaving elements of folklore and timeless storytelling into a living tapestry of improvised scenes. Prepare for big ideas, unforgettable characters, and epic adventures that unfold live before your eyes – no two performances alike, yet each a journey into the unknown.
Allegory of the Cave is the collaborative creation of Audra Goffeney, Rosalind Gregoire, Jennifer Jordan, and Robert MacKie. Together, they bring a rich blend of fantasy, folklore, and shadow theatre techniques to the world of improv, crafting performances that transport audiences into realms of myth and wonder.
“Raw, Beautiful and Haunting”
“This show completely changed what I thought improv could be”
“Breathtaking”
5.30pm
Box of Frogs, Birmingham’s premier Improv Group, brings you a fabulous evening of improvised comedy. The multi-talented and quick-witted Box of Frogs players conjure up hilarious spontaneous songs, sketches and scenes on the spur of the moment, all based on suggestions from the audience.
“superb night … great entertainment” – midlandsimprov.com
“this show was terrific fun as well as being great value for money“ – Brumhour
“Guarantee you’ll be laughing throughout.” – Love Midlands Theatre
“The brilliant and bouncy Box of Frogs is definitely a group to see at least once before you croak.” – Bum On A Seat
2.40pm
The 1960s, a time of antiwar protests, countercultural movements, and the “generation gap.” ImprompTwo returns to its roots with their deep dive into the gritty, American gothic style of improvised theatre. Set in the midwest, where hard work is futile and dreams have gone by the wayside, FROM DUSK TILL DAWN delves into what keeps people going when everything is changing and nowhere feels right. Inspired by the great American playwrights, they will create a beautiful, improvised play filled with stunning silences, passion, and pathos.
8:00pm
Unity 1
Liver Bards ‘Unified’ brings some of the many brilliant poets and bards from Ma Boyle’s basement to the Unity Theatre. Liver Bards is a time and place for poets and those that like to be around them to get together and share their truths and listen to others speak theirs.
There is always a need to gather in person to experience poetry and share our humanity. Why not explore Liver Bards and the many other rich and varied poetic events and opportunities? You will more than likely find places, spaces and faces where you are welcomed.
Keep poeteering! Keep barding!
Thank you to the hundreds of individual Liver Bards – audience and performers alike – who make the best nest and help our fantastic flock to fly.
Many thanks to Iain Hoskins and the Ma Boyle’s team for making us welcome over the years.
6-8pm
The importance of the aesthetic on the stage, what goes into creating and completing “a Look ” for the stage. Costumes, Props, Make Up, Set, Lights, Special Effect…
Focusing on the design aspect from the eyes of the performer and theatre makers.
How to make your show visually striking. The importance of what you see,
Selling what you see.
18+
6-8pm
This workshop explores tools and techniques for engaging directly with the present audience. We’ll be particularly focused on storytelling but these approaches can be used by anyone.
Daniel Bye is a north west based writer, director and theatre-maker. His award-winning internationally touring work includes Going Viral, These Hills Are Ours and The Price of Everything. He has created work for, among others, Leeds Playhouse, Northern Stage, Royal & Derngate, FUEL and Red Ladder. He spends most of his time wishing he was up a mountain.
7:30pm
Written & performed by Nathaniel J Hall
Presented by Dibby Theatre
A HOME Co-commission, supported by Arts Council England
Hilarious and heartbreaking in equal measure, Toxic is the critically-acclaimed new show from award winning theatre maker Nathaniel J Hall (First Time, It’s A Sin).
“This is the story of how we met, fell in love, and f*cked it up.”
Manchester 2017. A chance meeting on a hook-up app sets two damaged thirty-something hearts on a spectacular collision course. Born into Thatcher’s Britain of race riots and rampant homophobia and growing up in the shadow of Aids and Section 28, the pair form a trauma bond so tight, they might just survive it all. But sometimes survival means knowing when to leave.
This explosive semi-autobiographical show written by Nathaniel J Hall and performed by Nathaniel with Josh-Susan Enright blends storytelling (dir. by Scott Le Crass), movement (Plaster Cast), stunning design (Lu Herbert), visual projections and lighting (dede ././ and Tracey Gibbs) and an original pumping soundtrack by SHAR.
Inspired by true events, Toxic is a powerful and passionate play that pulls back the glittery curtain of pride to reveal a place where many still suffer the devastating impact of generational HIV stigma, racism, homophobia and toxic gender norms.
“This show is far from Toxic – it is a breath of fresh air. – “West End Best Friend
“a beautiful reminder to us all to live life with pride” – Curtain Call Reviews
“Very thought-provoking” – Your MCR
Cast
Josh-Susan Enright (They/Them)
Nathaniel J Hall (He/They)
